The holiday season is the best time to journal. There's no shortage of festive and cozy moments to write about. But if you're stuck on what details to include in your journal or scrapbook, these prompts will give you a good place to start.
Use them as is or let them inspire your own ideas. There are no rules here. And there's no wrong way to journal!
THE BASICS
When capturing the story of your holiday season, use the 5 Ws. I'm sure you know these from elementary school, but they are helpful here too. You don't have to use all of them for documenting everything you want to write in your journal, but if you're feeling stuck, use them as a guide to help you tell your story.
- Who? Who were you with?
- What? What happened?
- Where? Where were you?
- When? When did it happen?
- Why/How? Why did this moment stand out? Why was it special? How did it go? How did it make you feel? How did you react?
PROMPTS to help you capture the most memorable moments of the season:
- Document any parties or gatherings you attend. Who were you glad was there? Not so much? What was the highlight of the event? How was the food? What was the vibe?
- Document how you are spending your days. What's making your everyday a little more sparkly during the holiday season?
- Document any festive activities or traditions you participate in. Are you doing an advent calendar with your kids or pets? Did you build a snowman? Bake cookies? Go sledding? Did you walk around your neighborhood and look at Christmas lights? Did you try a new seasonal beverage?
- Who are you spending the holidays with? Where? How?
- What were your favorite gifts? Who gave them to you? Why are they your favorites? What were your favorite gifts to give others?
If you want to add photos and keepsakes to your journal entries, check out this blog post for even more ideas!
LIST MAKING IDEAS
Making lists is a fun and quick way to journal. You can make lists of things you want to do and check them off as you go or you can start a list and add to it throughout the season.
- Holiday season bucket list: what fun and festive things do you want to do during the holiday season? Check them off as you go!
- Self-care check list: what are some things you can do to keep yourself healthy, comforted, and reduce the stress of the season?
- List and rate the cheesey holiday movies you watch.
- Small joys (if there is a moment in your day when you feel peaceful, happy, grateful, entertained, amused, inspired make a note in your phone in the moment and transfer it to your journal later.)
- Local shopping list: make a list of shops, restaurants, coffee shops etc you want to patronize when you're shopping for others or looking to treat yourself